Stone Soup
by Jezunya
Summary: Collected Gargoyles ficlets. Mostly GEcentric, but will include other characters as well. Updated as they come to me.
1. Competition

A/N: This takes place during the flashback section in "Revelations," when Matt finally gets to meet Goliath and the Clan. Bluestone's always seemed to have a bit of a thing for Elisa in my opinion ;P

Disclaimer: _Gargoyles_ belongs to Buena Vista, Disney, etc. I am not making money or any kind of profit other than entertainment and enjoyment from this story.

**"Stone Soup"_  
Gargoyles_ Ficlets by Jezunya**

"Competition"

_So_, Matt thought, sizing up the huge gargoyle standing next to his partner, _this is the competition?_

The gargoyle eyed him in return, practically oozing protectiveness for Elisa and a confidence in himself that bordered on hostility toward the smaller human man. Elisa didn't seem to mind the gargoyle's attitude, as if she were completely used to it or even encouraged it. She mostly just seemed glad to be introducing him to her 'friends.' It was like a teenager introducing the boyfriend she adored to her parents and hoping they would like him as much as she did. He shook that idea from his head, once again looking the proverbial boyfriend up and down.

_Eh, piece of cake_, he told himself, despite the sinking feeling in his stomach.


	2. The Way It Is

A/N: This was written last night and was actually meant to be a scene somewhere in the longfic I'm working on. It was supposed to be a quick little flash-back that had to do with what was actually going on at that point in the fic, but the scene got away from me and took on a life of its own. It no longer fits my intentions for the longfic, so here it is all on its own as a big monster ficlet. Enjoy ;P

Oh, btw – the title & theme for this one comes from Elisa's line at the end of "The Mirror." ;--;

Disclaimer: _Gargoyles_ belongs to Buena Vista, Disney, etc. I am not making money or any kind of profit other than entertainment and enjoyment from this story.

**"Stone Soup"_  
Gargoyles_ Ficlets by Jezunya**

"The Way It Is"

They'd almost never been overtly romantic with each other before. They had moments, now and then, after a battle when they'd had a near miss or when they found themselves alone without the rest of the clan looking over their shoulders. They would stand closer than was strictly necessary, and sometimes Goliath would go so far as to wrap his arms and wings around her. She would let herself sink back into his embrace, telling herself that it wouldn't go any farther, that it was just for a moment. And usually it was – Hudson or one of the trio would come upon them or dawn would draw near and their moment would be over.

She had indulged herself more than usual the last Halloween when they'd both simultaneously talked each other into going together as Beauty and the Beast. But strolling arm-in-arm down the street was one thing, and even dancing was something that could be between close friends who were strictly close friends and nothing more. It wasn't until the end of the night, after the fight with the werewolf – _Werefox_, she corrected herself – that she'd finally slipped and crossed the line she'd so carefully walked alongside for so long.

Goliath had gone out onto the balcony of the clock tower to watch the festivities continuing in the streets below. She had shed her heels, gloves, and thigh-high stockings, feeling ridiculous enough as it was in the miniskirt that had been under her gown, and gone out to join him. The trio had stayed below, not wanting to give up yet on the one night a year when they could be in the city instead of hiding away from it, and Hudson and Bronx were inside, both dozing in front of the quietly humming television set. They were more alone than they had been in a long while.

"Did you want to return to the party?" Goliath asked quietly, glancing over at her when she came up beside him.

She smiled wryly and shook her head, rubbing her arms. The night was uncommonly warm for October, but there was still a definite breeze up on the clock tower, and she was wearing a lot less clothes than usual. "I think I'm all partied out, thanks to Fox."

Goliath grunted his agreement, then looked over at her again. He must have noticed her shivering, because he suddenly reached out with a wing and pulled her over to him, cocooning her against him to shield her from the wind. Elisa blinked in surprise, suddenly finding herself both out of the chill and pushed up against the large, wonderfully warm mass of Goliath's chest.

They stood like that for several long, silent moments. At some point, one of Goliath's hands had begun running up and down her back, the talons pulling through her hair smoothly. Elisa had let her eyes fall closed, lulled by the warmth and the steady rhythm of Goliath's breathing, but she opened them now to look up at him. He glanced down at her, smiled slightly, and for once looked truly content. Perhaps it was the warm, safe feeling created by the way his wings embraced her, the way his hand was moving on her back, the contented look on his face, or a combination of all of them, but she suddenly found herself standing up on her tiptoes with her arms inching up around his neck.

His hand stopped moving on her back and was quickly joined at her waist by the other to hold her up as he bent his head to meet her. The kiss was slow and gentle – neither the uncertain, shy kiss nor the hungry, burning kisses that were always written about in books. She'd wanted to kiss him for so long and now it simply felt _right_.

They parted after a few moments but Goliath continued to hold her close to him. She was just allowing herself to think that there really was no where else she wanted to be when she felt the rumble as he prepared to speak.

"Elisa..."

"Don't," she said softly, closing her eyes and stepping away from him and thus ending the moment. She knew what he wanted to say. It was the same thing he'd been trying to say ever since the incident with Puck and Titania's mirror. A part of her wanted to hear him say all those things – and wanted to be able to say them herself. But another part – the rational part of her mind, which was thankfully in control most of the time – knew that nothing either of them said could change the facts of the situation.

She sighed, looking out at the bright lights of the city around them. "I should go get some sleep. I managed to get tonight off, but I'm going to have to pull a longer shift than usual tomorrow," she said, hugging herself in the sudden cold and trying to feel and look brave and act as if everything were normal.

"I will see you tomorrow night, then?" Goliath rumbled from behind her, also assuming a neutral tone.

She nodded and turned to make her way back into the clock tower. She gathered her things, bid goodnight to Hudson, who had stirred when she came back in, and walked out.

And that's the way it was.


End file.
